Johnny Depp’s exes Winona Ryder and Vanessa Paradis blast ‘horrific’ claims against him
‘This is NOTHING like the true Johnny’: Depp’s exes Winona Ryder and Vanessa Paradis blast ‘horrific’ claims against him – saying he is universally ‘adored’ on movie sets and a ‘kind, attentive, generous and non-violent person and father’
- Johnny Depp’s ex-partner Vanessa Paradis will no longer appear at court in support of the actor’s libel claim
- Depp is suing Sun’s publisher over article which alleged he was violent towards ex-wife Amber Heard, 34
- Paradis, 47, was in a relationship with Hollywood star for more than 14 years and had two children with him
- Witnesses will include Starling Jenkins and Alejandro Romero who worked at LA building where couple lived
By Amie Gordon and Mark Duell for MailOnline
Published: 05:01 EDT, 16 July 2020 | Updated: 13:13 EDT, 16 July 2020
Johnny Depp’s former partners Vanessa Paradis and Winona Ryder have given staunch statements in defence of the Hollywood actor, labelling ‘wife beater’ claims against him, ‘horrific, distressing and outrageous.’
Actress Paradis, who was in a relationship with Depp for more than 14 years and had two children with him, had been expected to give evidence in support of the Pirates Of The Caribbean star’s case over a videolink today.
But the court was told today that there was no need for her – or his ex-fiancee in the 1990s, actress Ryder – to give evidence because Depp’s claim that he has never hit a woman was only tested by the defence regarding Heard.
However their bombshell statements were released by the court today, showing both stood faithfully by Depp’s side.
Winona Ryder said she was ‘absolutely shocked, confused and upset’ by the allegations against him.
She added in her statement, provided in advance of the trial: ‘The idea that he is an incredibly violent person is the farthest thing from the Johnny I knew and loved.
‘I cannot wrap my head around these accusations. He was never, never violent towards me. He was never, never abusive at all towards me. He has never been violent or abusive towards anybody I have seen.
‘I do not want to call anyone a liar but from my experience of Johnny, it is impossible to believe that such horrific allegations are true. I find it extremely upsetting, knowing him as I do.’
Vanessa Paradis described the actor as a ‘kind, attentive, generous and non-violent person and father.’
‘On movie sets the actors, directors and entire crews adore him because he is humble and respectful to everyone, as well as being one of the best actors we’ve seen,’ she added.
Depp, 57, is suing The Sun publisher News Group Newspapers (NGN) and its executive editor over an April 2018 article which alleged he was violent towards ex-wife Amber Heard, 34, during their tumultuous relationship.
It is another development in the extraordinary case in London, with the court also told today:
- Depp’s bodyguard insisted he was not lying over claims that he saw Depp being regularly attacked by Heard;
- The security guard, Sean Bett, said he regularly saw Heard throw ‘bottles, glass and other objects’ at Depp;
- He added that Heard was ‘verbally and physically abusive’ towards Depp throughout their relationship.
Johnny Depp (left) and Amber Heard (right) arrive at the Royal Courts of Justice in London today for the libel trial to continue
Johnny Depp and his former partner Vanessa Paradis in London on October 17, 2004. Paradis will now no longer appear at the court today via videolink in support of Depp’s libel claim against a newspaper over an article that labelled him a ‘wife beater’
Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder in Los Angeles in September 1990. Ryder had been due to give evidence via videolink
A court artist’s sketch of Johnny Depp’s counsel David Sherborne reading documents at the High Court in London today
Depp is assisted into the High Court by his security team this morning for his libel claim against The Sun to continue
Amber Heard (centre) arrives at the High Court today with her girlfriend Bianca Butti (left) and sister Whitney Heard (right)
‘It is impossible to believe that such horrific allegations are true’: Johnny Depp’s ex-fiancee Winona Ryder says he was ‘a really good man’
In her witness statement, provided in advance of the trial, Johnny Depp’s ex-fiancee Winona Ryder said she does not know the ‘full details’ of the claims against the defendants in these proceedings.
The actress said: ‘I am aware of the violence allegations that have been made publicly for the last few years by Johnny Depp’s ex-wife Amber Heard.
‘I knew Johnny very well years ago. We were together as a couple for four years, and I counted him as my best friend, and as close to me as family.
‘I count our relationship as one of the more significant relationships of my life.’
In her statement about Johnny Depp, Ms Ryder said: ‘I understand that it is very important that I speak from my own experience, as I obviously was not there during his marriage to Amber, but, from my experience, which was so wildly different, I was absolutely shocked, confused and upset when I heard the accusations against him.
‘The idea that he is an incredibly violent person is the farthest thing from the Johnny I knew and loved.
‘I cannot wrap my head around these accusations. He was never, never violent towards me. He was never, never abusive at all towards me. He has never been violent or abusive towards anybody I have seen.
‘I truly and honestly only know him as a really good man – an incredibly loving, extremely caring guy who was so very protective of me and the people that he loves, and I felt so very, very safe with him.
‘I do not want to call anyone a liar but from my experience of Johnny, it is impossible to believe that such horrific allegations are true. I find it extremely upsetting, knowing him as I do.’
This morning, Depp’s barrister David Sherborne said the trial timetable had been revised, adding: ‘There is no need to reschedule those witnesses (Ryder and Paradis), much as it would have been a pleasure to have them here.’
Witnesses will instead today include Starling Jenkins and Alejandro Romero, who worked at the Eastern Columbia Buildings in Los Angeles where Heard and Depp lived.
Also appearing today was Depp’s former bodyguard who revealed a photograph of the Hollywood actor with a black eye after Heard allegedly punched him.
Security guard Sean Bett, who has worked for Depp and his family for nine years, claimed in his witness statement released today that the injury was caused by Heard following her 30th birthday party in Los Angeles in April 2016.
But NGN’s barrister Sasha Wass QC told the court that the photograph was actually taken in March 2015 in the same city on a date when Heard had already admitted she attacked Depp in defence of her sister Whitney.
Heard has previously claimed she and Depp were having an argument when he approached Whitney on a landing between two staircases in their home in Los Angeles – and she feared he might push her, so hit him in the face.
Last week, Ms Wass claimed in court earlier on in the case that the couple had an argument in March 2015 because Heard found out he was having an affair with Rochelle Hathaway, with Depp responding that Heard ‘was quite jealous of Rochelle and several other people, so I don’t know that she found out I was having an affair’.
CCTV shows Depp ‘extremely agitated’ in lift after he was ‘ushered out of couple’s LA penthouse following blazing row with Amber
Today, the court was shown the moment Johnny Depp got into a lift in an ‘extremely agitated’ state after being allegedly ushered out of a his penthouse in Los Angeles following a row with then-wife Amber Heard.
The actor was seen rocking back and forth in the lift in the Eastern Columbia Building in CCTV footage taken on May 21, 2016 and shown to London’s High Court today as part of Depp’s libel case against The Sun newspaper.
Depp’s security guard Sean Bett was asked about the visit to see Heard while giving evidence today, as he also revealed four photographs of the Hollywood star with facial injuries after Heard allegedly attacked him.
Sasha Wass QC, for News Group Newspapers (NGN), whom Depp’s action is against over an article which alleged he was violent towards Heard, said Mr Bett had an understanding that the pair were ‘going to have a sort of talk’.
Mr Bett told the court: ‘He was going to pick up some belongings and he was also going to speak with her.’ Mr Bett said he went into the flat with Mr Depp and saw lit candles and an open bottle of wine.
The court heard Mr Bett left the penthouse and stood in the hallway. He said he was ‘waiting to see if Mr Depp was going to come out soon or waiting to see if there was going to be any type of argument’.
Ms Wass asked him if he was expecting that, and he said: ‘From Ms Heard, yes.’ Mr Bett said it was known that Heard was showing a pattern of ‘getting upset with Mr Depp’, and this is why he stayed outside the door.
Ms Wass asked Mr Bett how long he, Depp’s former head of security Jerry Judge and Depp were in the apartment building on May 21, 2016, to which Mr Bett said ‘between 30 and 40 minutes’.
The barrister then showed Mr Bett CCTV footage of the three of them entering the lift at around 7pm and leaving at around 8.30pm. She said: ‘It would appear that your estimate of how long you were there is incorrect.’
Mr Bett replied: ‘They are slightly off according to the (footage).’ Ms Wass asked what happened when Mr Bett entered the penthouse and whether ‘Ms Heard was sitting on the sofa’. Mr Bett said: ‘No, she was standing.’
Vanessa Paradis tells court her ex-partner was a ‘non-violent person and father’
In a witness statement provided in advance of the trial, Johnny Depp’s former partner Vanessa Paradis, with whom the actor has two children, said: ‘I work as a musician, singer-songwriter, actress, and fashion model.
‘I have known Johnny for more than 25 years. We’ve been partners for 14 years and we raised our two children together.
‘Through all these years I’ve known Johnny to be a kind, attentive, generous and non-violent person and father.
‘On movie sets the actors, directors and entire crews adore him because he is humble and respectful to everyone, as well as being one of the best actors we’ve seen.’
Ms Paradis’ statement continued: ‘I am aware of the allegations which Amber Heard has publicly accused Johnny of for more than four years now.
‘This is nothing like the true Johnny I have known, and from my personal experience of many years, I can say he was never violent or abusive to me.
‘I have seen that these outrageous statements have been really distressing, and also caused damage to his career because unfortunately people have gone on believing these false facts.
‘This is so upsetting as he has helped so many persons in his personal and professional life, with kindness and generosity.’
Ms Wass asked if Ms Heard was crying, to which Mr Bett said: ‘She was agitated and upset.’ He added: ‘I can’t remember if I saw tears.’ Ms Wass said: ‘Ms Heard said to Jerry Judge ‘if he hits me one more time I’m going to call the cops’.’
Mr Bett confirmed that she said ‘words to that effect’. Ms Wass asked if Mr Bett was certain that he saw ‘no injuries to Ms Heard’. Mr Bett replied: ‘Correct.’
He added: ‘If you are 20 feet away, in my opinion it can be difficult to see a tear on one’s face (but) it’s clear if there is an injury of any type, you would be able to see.’
Mr Bett said that he would be able to have seen an injury to Ms Heard ‘especially with her fair skin’. Ms Wass suggested to Mr Bett that ‘you are lying and that she had visible reddening to her cheek’.
Mr Bett replied: ‘I’m not a liar, I’m telling the truth.’ Ms Wass asked if Johnny Depp was ‘extremely agitated’ when he was being ‘ushered out of the flat’, and Mr Bett said he was.
The barrister said: ‘Presumably you have seen him like that many times before.’ Mr Bett said: ‘No.’
Ms Wass said Depp then went to one of the neighbouring penthouses he owned and ‘was threatening people, other people (Joshua) Drew and the other woman’.
Mr Bett replied: ‘That’s not true. Mr Depp told Mr Drew and the said female to get out of this apartment.’ Ms Wass said: ‘When Mr Depp left (the penthouse) he had with him a bottle of red wine, do you remember that?’
Mr Bett replied: ‘I can’t confirm if he had wine with him or not.’ Ms Wass suggested Depp ‘threw the wine and smashed the wine’ outside one of the other apartments.
Mr Bett responded: ‘There was no smashing of anything.’ ‘Did you not see wine dribbled along the wall?’ Ms Wass asked. ‘I didn’t,’ Mr Bett replied.
Ms Wass put it to Mr Bett: ‘Your evidence, Mr Bett, is that Mr Depp is not violent and you are not violent.’ He replied: ‘That’s correct.’
Yesterday, Heard’s former personal assistant accused the actress of ‘twisting’ her own account of a machete-point rape for ‘her own use’, in explosive evidence on the seventh day of Depp’s libel claim.
Appearing by videolink from Los Angeles on Wednesday, Kate James claimed Heard, 34, had ‘stolen’ her story of being ‘violently raped’ in Brazil almost three decades ago.
Heard’s former PA accuses her of ‘twisting’ her own account of a rape for ‘her own use’
In her witness statement, Ms James said she discovered the Aquaman actress had ‘stolen my sexual violence conversation with her and twisted it into her own story to benefit herself’.
She added: ‘This of course caused me extreme distress and outrage that she would dare to attempt to use the most harrowing experience of my life as her own narrative.’ Ms James said she was giving evidence because she took ‘offence’ at Heard’s actions.
Depp waves to the photographers outside the High Court this morning (left), while his ex-wife Heard also arrives (right)
A woman films Johnny Depp arriving at the High Court in London this morning as legal proceedings in the capital continue
Johnny Depp being taken to hospital with a severed finger, following the incident in Australia in March 2015
Depp, 57, and Heard, 34, met on the set of the 2011 comedy ‘The Rum Diary’ and married in Los Angeles in February 2015. They are pictured at the film’s premiere in London in November 2011
Johnny Depp’s bruised face is seen in photo shown to High Court from night Amber Heard ‘punched him during row over his secret affair with Rochelle Hathaway in their LA penthouse’
Johnny Depp’s security guard today revealed a photograph of the Hollywood actor with a black eye after his then-wife Amber Heard allegedly punched him, to support his sensational libel claim against a newspaper.
Johnny Depp’s security guard Sean Bett today revealed a photograph of the actor with a black eye after his then-wife Amber Heard allegedly punched him. He said it was taken on April 2016, but the court heard claim it was actually March 2015
Security guard Sean Bett, who has worked for Depp and his family for nine years, claimed in his witness statement released today that the injury was caused by Heard following her 30th birthday party in Los Angeles in April 2016.
But NGN’s barrister Sasha Wass QC told the court that the photograph was actually taken in March 2015 in the same city on a date when Heard had already admitted she attacked Depp in defence of her sister Whitney.
Heard has previously claimed she and Depp were having an argument when he approached Whitney on a landing between two staircases in their home in Los Angeles – and she feared he might push her, so hit him in the face.
Last week, Ms Wass claimed in court earlier that the couple had an argument in March 2015 because Heard found out he was having an affair with Rochelle Hathaway, with Depp responding that Heard ‘was quite jealous of Rochelle and several other people, so I don’t know that she found out I was having an affair’.
NGN’s barrister Sasha Wass QC suggested Ms James had been ‘influenced’ by Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas actor Depp and his associates and ‘encouraged’ to give ‘vicious evidence’ against Heard.
Ms James replied: ‘I’m here for my own reasons … I’m a sexual violence survivor and that’s very, very serious to take that stance if you are not one and I am one.
‘That’s the reason I’m here, because I take offence.’
Ms James, who worked for Heard between 2012 and 2015, said her former employer would send a ‘barrage of drunk text messages between the hours of two and four in the morning … on an almost daily basis’, describing the messages as ‘abusive’.
She accused Heard of deleting all the ‘abusive’ texts after the actress terminated her employment, adding: ‘She saved the ones that weren’t.’
Heard ‘did not care about throwing anyone under the bus’, says former PA
In her statement, Ms James said Heard felt she was ‘above the law’, and claimed she ‘did not care about throwing anyone under the bus, if it meant saving her own skin’.
Heard asked her in September 2014 to send a letter the actress had drafted to Homeland Security officials in the US about a woman named Savannah McMillan, who had been hired to work as a set assistant, Ms James claimed.
According to Ms James, Heard said in the letter: ‘Savannah McMillan is a personal friend and, to my knowledge, has never worked unlawfully or otherwise in the United States. Or for me.’
Ms James said in her statement that Heard ‘knew this to be untrue’ and ‘Amber was therefore wilfully lying to the US immigration department’.
She also claimed Heard ‘deliberately smuggled’ two Yorkshire terriers, Pistol and Boo, into Australia illegally in April 2015.
Heard asked Depp’s estate manager to ask her PA to ‘lie under oath’, court hears
The High Court in London earlier heard evidence from Kevin Murphy, Depp’s former estate manager, who claimed Heard asked him to contact Ms James and ask her to ‘lie under oath’ to an Australian court.
Mr Murphy said the actress also ‘demanded’ he make a false statement about the animals being ‘smuggled’ into the country, and told him: ‘I wouldn’t want you to have a problem with your job.’
In October 2015, Heard faced criminal proceedings in Australia for taking the couple’s two dogs into the country illegally. She and Depp later recorded a now infamous video, which was played to the court, apologising for doing so.
Mr Murphy said he lied under oath ‘because Amber wielded a lot of power and would have made my life miserable’.
He also gave evidence about the ‘defecation incident’, when faeces were found in the couple’s bed after Heard’s 30th birthday party in April 2016.
Amber Heard photographed Johnny Depp with ice cream spilled on his legs during a private flight from Boston to Los Angeles in May 2014 before showing it to him the next day and saying: ‘Look at what you’ve become’, the court heard earlier this week
A man holding a placard in support of Depp stands outside the High Court in London this morning ahead of the latest hearing
The carnage in a home in Australia after Depp and Heard allegedly had a fight in 2015, which was released yesterday as part of Ben King’s evidence. The picture shows an undamaged phone handset, with Mr King insisting ‘ I did not see any phones which had been broken’, despite Heard’s claims that he smashed it against a wall and cut off his fingertip while attacking her
Depp is alleged to have trashed a penthouse in Los Angeles, California, which Heard used as a colossal closet
Photographs were issued by Heard’s legal team of her with injuries to her face around the time of the alleged attack on December 15, 2015, showing bruising across the bridge of her nose and under her eyes after Depp allegedly headbutted her
Johnny Depp v The Sun: Key issues in libel trial
Hollywood star Johnny Depp’s libel claim against The Sun enters its second week on Monday. These are the key issues the trial judge, Mr Justice Nicol, has to determine.
– Whether the April 2018 article by the tabloid’s executive editor Dan Wootton was defamatory of Depp. Under the Defamation Act 2013, a statement is not defamatory unless its publication causes ‘serious harm to the reputation of the claimant’.
– The Sun’s publisher, News Group Newspapers (NGN), is defending the claim and relying on a defence of truth. It is for the publisher to prove that the allegations made in the article are ‘substantially true’.
– The meaning of the article, which is defined as what it would mean to the ‘reasonable reader’, will have to be determined by the judge. But NGN’s lawyers say the differences between the rival meanings contended by each side are ‘not significant’ and the outcome of the case will therefore not turn on meaning.
– Depp’s case is that the article bore the meaning that he was ‘guilty, on overwhelming evidence, of serious domestic violence against his then wife, causing significant injury and leading to her fearing for her life, for which he was constrained to pay no less than £5 million to compensate her, and which resulted in him being subjected to a continuing court restraining order; and for that reason is not fit to work in the film industry’. He strenuously denies the allegations and claims he ‘has never hit or committed any acts of physical violence against Ms Heard’.
– The meaning which NGN will seek to prove is true is that the Claimant beat his wife Amber Heard, causing her to suffer significant injury and on occasion leading her to fearing for her life. They rely on 14 separate allegations of violence and allege more generally that Depp was ‘controlling and verbally and physically abusive’ towards Ms Heard, particularly when he was under the influence of alcohol and or drugs, throughout their relationship. NGN’s lawyers say an important issue for the judge to decide will be what substances Depp was using during the relationship. They contend that he frequently lost control of himself, partly because of his heavy drug and alcohol use, and also that his memory has been impaired by his heavy use of drugs.
– If Depp wins his case, the judge will have to decide what level of compensation he should receive for the harm to his reputation and for the ‘distress, hurt and humiliation caused’. There is an upper limit on general damages for libel of £300,000 to £325,000. However, if he succeeds, Depp may also be entitled to aggravated damages. The actor is also asking for a final injunction against NGN, who his legal team say ‘have retained the article on their website and maintained their allegation to the bitter end’.
Ms Wass read a text from Heard to Mr Murphy in October 2014, when the actress said: ‘I’m worried she’s got brain damage.
‘She can’t seem to predict or control when she uses the bathroom.
‘Last night she s**t ON Johnny while he was sleeping, like all over him. Not exaggerating.’
Mr Murphy said in his witness statement that, when he spoke to Depp in April 2016 about the ‘defecation incident’, the actor was ‘sullen and disgusted’.
Ms Wass read two text messages sent by Depp shortly after the incident, saying that in one, he wrote ‘my wife left a whopper poop on my bed’ and ‘then he says ‘Amber Turd”.
She said: ‘In fact, it appears from those texts that Depp found the subject quite amusing,’ to which Mr Murphy said he thought the actor was being ‘sarcastic’.
Mr Murphy was asked if Heard had told him the faeces in the bed was a ‘harmless prank’, and said: ‘She certainly did.’
Yesterday morning, Depp’s previous estate manager, Ben King, gave evidence that Depp and Heard ‘argued like schoolchildren’, with explosive rows starting from ‘banal beginnings’.
He claimed Heard was the ‘antagoniser’ in the relationship, often ‘goading’ and attempting to provoke the actor.
Mr King, who worked for the Hollywood star for three separate periods between 2014 and 2016, said he never saw Depp ‘be violent or unkind towards Heard, or indeed towards anyone else’.
In his first witness statement, Mr King said that in March 2015 he was summoned to the house the couple were renting in Australia, where he found a ‘significant amount of damage’ and discovered the actor’s severed fingertip on the floor of the bar area while cleaning up broken glass and debris.
Depp has been accused of subjecting Heard to a ‘three-day hostage situation’ and trashing the house during the Australia trip, which he denies.
His finger was severed during the stay, which he says was caused by Ms Heard throwing a vodka bottle at him, which she denies.
Yesterday, the court did not have time to hear from actress Ryder, who was engaged to Mr Depp in the 1990s, or Katherine Kendall, an actress and #MeToo advocate who claims she was ‘misquoted’ in The Sun’s article.
Depp is suing NGN and its executive editor Dan Wootton over the publication of an article headlined: ‘Gone Potty: How can JK Rowling be ‘genuinely happy’ casting wife beater Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Beasts film?’.
His lawyers say the article bore the meaning there was ‘overwhelming evidence’ Depp assaulted Heard on a number of occasions and left her ‘in fear for her life’.
Heard claims that, during an incident in Australia, she was subjected to a ‘three-day hostage situation’ during which Depp drank to excess and took pills.
NGN is defending the article as true, and says Depp was ‘controlling and verbally and physically abusive towards Heard, particularly when he was under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs’.
